Impact analysis of EU changes to Annex 3 of the Outdoor Noise Directive on manufacturers of outdoor equipment

The Department for Business and Trade is seeking to commission a project to an organisation with expert knowledge in acoustics with a focus on the noise by equipment for use outdoors. We are seeking expert advice in assessing the changes that the EU has made to Annex III of the Outdoor Noise Directive and the impact that these changes may have on manufacturers of equipment in scope of the Directive.

We are seeking this information as, under the Windsor Framework Agreement between the UK Government and the EU, the UK Government must implement these changes in Northern Ireland. The information will be beneficial in future policy making more widely too.

We require the organisation to produce us with a report containing the following information, once they have completed their analysis:

• A high-level summary of what the changes actually are/what they mean which can be easily understood by an audience without knowledge of the technical or scientific de-tail;
• A more in-depth analysis of the differences between the Annex III in the original Di-rective and the new Annex III;
• Assessment of the potential impacts that these changes might have on manufacturers of outdoor equipment in scope;
• Any additional insights into the affected sector.

Once the report is complete, the organisation will also be required to give a presentation about its findings to the Department, to ensure all the detail is fully understood.

Additional information: Expressions of interest are invited from those who are able to:

• Assess the changes made to Annex III of the Outdoor Noise Directive and provide expert technical advice on the changes and their potential impacts;
• Give a presentation to officials in the Department for Business and Trade, setting out your findings and explaining the technical changes to a non-scientific audience;
• Complete this work within two months, due to significant time constraints on the Department to meet their obligations under the Windsor Framework;

If you able meet these three requirements, please confirm this by emailing commercialresearchandconsultancy@businessandtrade.gov.uk to register your interest by 12:00 on Thursday 1st August 2024.